June 04, 2025

Operations: Getting a Branch Up and Running

19 minutes

Marty shares the real story behind opening Grunder Landscaping's first branch location in Cincinnati. From overcoming team resistance and zoning battles to building systems that scale, discover the leadership lessons, market entry strategies, and mindset shifts required to successfully expand your business into new markets.

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00:00 - Introduction & Welcome

01:31 - Opening a New Branch: Early Challenges

03:11 - Meeting Seth Pflum & The Growth of Grunder Landscaping

04:30 - The New Cincinnati Branch: Opportunities and Challenges

06:30 - Remodeling the New Facility

08:53 - Operational Strategies and Team Growth

12:42 - Using Your Mission Statement for Growth

16:16 - The Challenge to Grow

18:46 - Please Like, Share and Subscribe!

Show Notes & Key Takeaways

Strategic Planning & Vision

Mission-driven expansion - The branch serves their mission: "to create opportunities for our team to grow and succeed"

Market sizing matters - Cincinnati offers 3-5x the opportunities of Dayton, making it worth the investment and risk

Leadership & Team Development

Avoid consensus paralysis - Running a company by consensus with conservative thinkers can kill growth opportunities

Find growth-minded partners - Seth’s arrival changed everything because he shared Marty's vision for expansion

Create advancement opportunities - "The main reason you grow a business is you have so many good people, they're pushing you, and if you don't create opportunities for them, they're gonna move on"

Promote from within success stories - Bill went from crew worker to leadership team; Brian went from watering plants to leadership team

Operational Excellence

Systems enable scalability - Strong systems allow any team member to maintain standards at either location

Communication requirements multiply - "When you have one location, you better communicate well. But when you have two, your communication better be 10 times better"

Market Entry Strategy

Expect to be unknown - 41 years of reputation in Dayton means nothing in Cincinnati

Invest heavily in marketing for new markets - Earmark larger percentage of marketing budget for the new location

Warm calling over cold calling - Always research prospects before contacting them

Mindset & Culture

Proof of concept exists - "If someone else has done what you're trying to do, that's the only proof you need to believe that you can do it too"

Stay humble in new markets - Being asked "Are you a brand new business?" was humbling but necessary

Strong culture transcends location - The team maintained standards even during leadership transitions

Focus on fundamentals - "People call you, you call 'em back if they're unhappy, you make 'em happy. Do a good job, communicate well with them. Those work in any marketplace"

Success Metrics

Branch success isn't about ego - Don't expand just to brag about multiple locations - focus on profitability and team opportunities

Organic growth focus - 90% of their growth from $4.2M to projected $18M came organically, not acquisitions

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The Grow Show podcast is sponsored by STIHL and brought to you by The Grow Group - a leading coaching and education firm for landscape professionals. Your host is Marty Grunder, president and CEO of The Grow Group and Grunder Landscaping Co., one of the most successful design-build operations of its kind in the Midwest. The Grow Show shares ideas, tips, tactics, and insights that will help you grow your landscaping business.

Resources:

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Grunder Landscaping Field Trips

The Grow Group

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Marty Grunder LinkedIn

Stihl

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By Marty Grunder

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